Syracuse-Florida: The Tale of the Tape

Setting

The St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida is the backdrop for a top 10 clash as Billy Donovan’s No. 10 Florida Gators do battle with Jim Boeheim’s No. 7 Syracuse Orange in the Big East SEC Invitational.

Flashback

Syracuse leads the all-time series 2-1, including an 89-83 victory for the Orange in last year’s O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE.

Plot

Boeheim and Donovan's teams combined for three national titles in the past decade. Deans of their individual conferences, they are the longest tenured coaches in the Big East and SEC (Boeheim, 34 years and Donovan, 14 years)

Sub-Plots

The maintenance staff should prepare for soggy floor conditions, as both teams will make it rain with threes. After taking just 10 attempts from behind the arc in a 77-74 win over Michigan State, the Gators have average 19 a game in the last three contests since, making 50 percent or better in those games. Florida made 12-of-20 in a win over Jacksonville. As a team, Syracuse has made over 42 percent of their attempts from behind the arc, knocking down nine or more in seven-of-eight games.

Tone

Both teams will have a chip on their shoulder, trying to prove the pollsters wrong. Neither the Orange nor the Gators earned a top 25 ranking from any major media outlet.

Suspense

Syracuse’s rebound margin equals 3.4., while Florida’s margin is 3.5. Which force will win out?

Conflict

Vernon Macklin meet Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson. The 6′10″ Macklin has avoided foul trouble thus far while posting 11.3 ppg and 5.9 rpg. Over 42.6 percent of Macklin’s rebounds come on the offensive end. Orange opponents have made it a priority to slow down 6′9 wide bodies Jackson and Onuaku. Can Macklin stay out of foul trouble while limiting Onuaku and Jackson? Will the Orange zone keep track of the Gator frontcourt? Macklin should know a thing or two about the Orange; he transferred from Georgetown.

Florida averages 8.3 steals per game (49 in the past five games) and Syracuse swipes 14.3 per game. Can the Gator backcourt get out and disrupt the Orange? If Florida takes chances, will the Orange capitalize? Or will their defensive pressure bother SU’s three-point barrage?

Syracuse averages 90 ppg while holding opponents to 61.6. Florida scores 75.8 per game, but keeps opposing offenses to 57.9.

Pick Your Poison

Five players have led the Orange in individual game-scoring this season. Nine different Orange have scored double digits.

Characters

Andy Rautins (four) and Wes Johnson (two) have hit five or more threes in multiple games.  Mookie Jones has hit 14-of-30 from behind the arc.

Freshman Brandon Triche has shown poise, taking over the point from Jonny Flynn. While fans won’t see the spectacular athleticism of Flynn, Triche provides stability at the point. The Syracuse native holds an assist to turnover ratio of 1.2/1.

Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton, lead the Gator attack with 13.9 ppg and 11.8 ppg, respectively. The backcourt tandem has combined for 25 threes to date and have dished 68 assists with 34 turnovers.

Florida hits 71 percent from the free throw line, with Walker and Boynton getting to the charity stripe a combined 61 times through eight games.

Resolution

Florida is 4-2 at the St. Pete Times Forum. The Orange have not been out of upstate New York since Nov. 20th. This could be a welcomed respite from the recent winter weather, but it comes at the expense of playing in front of a partisan Gator crowd.   Both teams have their sights set on an invitation to the NCAA Tournament.  Onuaku and Jackson will prove themselves too much for the Florida frontcourt. Rautins will continue his sharp shooting as the Orange earn a key early-season win.

Pickin' Splinters